Forging Sisterhood Within and Without the Union

The Organizing Experience of MAKALAYA (Manggagawang Kababaihang Mithi ay Paglaya)

Women Workers in A Globalized Economy : A Situationer

A phenomenon where nations,

economies and people are brought

closer together notwithstanding

political or geographical borders

through the help of technology thereby

resulting to interdependence.

Globalization

Rooted in neoliberalism◦ Free market philosophy◦ Little or no government control

Components:◦ New markets◦ New tools (transportation and communications)◦ New players (transnational corporations)◦ New rules (GATT, WTO, multilateral agreements)

Neoliberal Globalization

1. Liberalization

• No controls on capital investments

• Removing barriers on ‘free trade’ (tariffs, quotas

and other regulations)

• Encourages foreign investments

Three Pillars of Globalization

2. Deregulation

government reduces its role in providing social

services

◦ Removal of subsidies

◦ Removal of price control

◦ Reduction of direct taxes

◦ Removal of state regulation on businesses

Three Pillars of Globalization

3. Privatization Selling of government-owned and managed

corporations The argument is that the private sector can

do a better job in handling these corporations including those concerning social services

Three Pillars of Globalization

1. Hidden geography of production

2. Subcontracting work

The International Division of Labor

Formal Economy

In a formal economy, a worker:•    has a formal contract with the employer•    has pre-defined work conditions and job responsibilities•    gets an assured and decent fixed salary with perks and incentives•    Has fixed duration of work time•    is covered by a social security for health and life risks

Women Workers Amidst Globalization

2003 20070

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Informal SectorFormal Sector

Formal VS Informal Economy

Sales

Service SectorAgriculture SectorIndustry Sector

Employment in the Formal Economy

1. Wholesale and retail trade

2. Vending and operating variety stores

3. OFWS – 50.4 %

4. 80% of 900,000 workers in Export Processing Zones (electronics)

5. Garment Industry

Where are Women in the Formal Economy?

Lack of job security (contractualization)

Vulnerability to occupational hazards

Replaced by machines

Decline of Garment Industry : Women Suffered

Closures and Mergers, Downsizing

What Issues do Women face in the Formal Economy?

Women Joined the Informal Sector Instead Trade Unions are Weakened

Trade Unions or Labor Unions- Organization of workers who have banded together towards achieving a common goal

such as better working conditions and proper wages

Effects of these Issues

In an informal economy, worker has:

•    has no formal contract with his employer•    has no systematic work conditions•    gets irregularly and unevenly paid.•    has no forum to express his grievances•    has no fixed hours of work and mostly earns hand to mouth•    is not covered by any kind of social security system

Women in the Informal Sector

Sales

Formal Employment (35)Informal Employment (65)

Total Employment (2003)

Sales

Male (60.3)Female (39.7)

Informal Economy Employment (2003)

1. Labor Displacement

2. Gender Discrimination in the Workplace

3. Dual Burden of Working at Home and

Earning Income

What Drove Women Towards the Informal Economy?

1. Invisible

2. Unorganized

3. Vulnerable

Issues Confronting Women in the Informal Sector

Social Movement Unionism

- Introduced by Peter Walterman in the late 1980s

- struggles beyond the confines of the workplace

- recognizing, organizing and mobilizing all types

of workers and unions for engagements in

different areas of struggle.

Women and Social Movement Unionism

Features:

Organizes and Mobilizes all types of workers

Not limited to Trade Union Organizing

Responds to new work arrangements

Aims to protect rights of all workers not just wage-earners

Struggles for workers’ rights in all aspects (economic,

political, and socio-cultural)

Strategic objective is NOTHING LESS than social

transformation

Women and Social Movement Unionism

Women Workers In the History of Trade Unionism in the

Philippines

Spanish colonization

1816 cigarreras (tobacco workers) unfair wages and sexual harrasment

1901

Carmelo and Bauerman Printing Press in Manila

first women unionists

Celerina dela Cruz Antonia Zamora Fausta Bernardo Pasamola Zamora

Involvement in organizing unions

19th century Cigarreras Bordaderas (embroideres) Sinamayeras (abaca weavers)

sex discrimination sexual harassment low wages

19th century Tobacco factories in Manila, Navotas and Malabon low wages and deplorable working condition

1906 women vendors in Divisoria increase install rentals1934 tobacco workers – general workers’ strike Narcisa Paguibitan General Frank Murphy in Malacanang

Congreso obrero de filipinas May 1, 1913 includes protection for women and

child laborers

1918 more than 8000 women workers in

factories

Mid 19th century 3000 in various cigar companies

Women-only trade unions Union de Cigarillas la Alejandria Tobacco Women’s Labor Union

1923 provisions of working seats and separate toilets

1931 more than 7500 members Bureau of Labor membership of women in all 12 major

organizations

The Filipino Woman: Her Social Economic Status

(Alzona)

women joined unions for protection and benefits

show loyalty to organizations consciousness of the need for

cooperation in labor movements

1936

- maternity leave equal pay prohibition of child labour

struggle in women’s right to vote

Tribune Manila May, 1936 Alhambra Cigar Factory July, 1936 10,000 women and men workers in

front of Malcanang

equal pay for equal work in women of men prohibition of children worker below 14 years old grant of education to poor children

Japanese occupation and post-war years Lowest pay among children and women

workers

1949 70 trade unions

Issues

• The dilemma of “organizing the organized.”

• �“Double-burden” of women in the trade unions.

• �Diversity as both strength and limitation.

• �Women’s committees as expression of tokenism and gender divide.

• Sub-contracting scheme pits workers against each other.

Lesson Learned and Future Challenges of MAKALAYA

Insights

• Feminist values, processes and practice offered an alternate 'way of seeing and doing things" that other organizations can learn from.

• The need to link the formal and informal workers as part of a particular industry.

• The importance of women's spaces.

• The need for trade unions to respond to both the practical and strategic needs of women workers.

• Develop and empower women through redefinition of power and deconstruction of leadership.

MAKALAYA's organizing experience is rich in lessons as well as potentials for replication.

Some of these include:

On organizing strategies and the importance of SMU...

• Traditional union organizing approach is no longer viable vis-a-vis dwindling union membership.

• It showed the importance of organizing women workers.

• Forging alliances with other groups both at the local and international arenas.

• MAKALAYA has established networks and coalitions.

• Engaged not only in economic issues and concerns but also in political struggles.

On encouraging active participation of women.

1. Removal of barriers to women's entry to participation in collection initiatives.o women's desks and committeeso gender awareness targeting husbands

2. Creation of enabling mechanismso creating spaces for womeno creating a support groupo scheduling meetings and other activities based

on the limitations and convenient time for women

Question and Challenges to MAKALAYA and those in trade union movement

• Will involvement in both the trade unions and MAKALAYA reinforce double burden to its women members? Is there no other way to balance involvement of women in both trade union and MAKALAYA so as not to create a double burden to women workers?

• What new organizing strategies can unions adopt to address the issue of dwindling membership of trade unions and the growth of workers in informal work arrangements?